You may see my teacher, Master Dong, do this simple set of moves while at workshops, over and over again when he is alone. I have often wondered what is his meditation, what he is up to? Obviously he is meditating, the form is expressed so beautifully when you can softly walk through these simple meditative routines. I have been copying him and a had a break-through today in training.

The Book of Changes, “I Ching” follows the changes of Heaven and Earth through symbolism. Yin/Yang is expressed in folding, rolling patterns that, like the DNA molecule, make a double helix woven tapestry expressing the changes of life. The eight changes represent different energies.

Heaven and Earth, Water and Fire, Mountain and Valley, Wind and Thunder, are the changes of Tao.

If you have never read the I Ching, it is a classic Taoist source book I recommend reading. Watching Sifu, this is what I see him doing, expressing the eight “bagua” of the I Ching like a monk counting rosary beads, it is a spiritual meditation. Every Taiji posture expresses one or more of these energies;

Mountain, Keeping Still… Shoulder strike

Heaven, the Creative… Warding off

Wind, the Gentle… White Crane Spreads Wings

Water, the Abysmal… Lifting Hands

Thunder, the Arousing… Pull Down

Fire, the Clinging… Push (down)

Lake, Valley the Joyous… Rollback

Earth, the Receptive… Gathering qi and repeat

You can do this simple routine over and over on both sides continuously.

At the top of the page, is just a little poem written to help me focus on Taiji moves, Shoulder strike (Mountain) is “Kao” energy merging into “Peng” (ward-off) energy= Heaven, White crane spreads wings, move like Wind. Wind is “Lie” (splitting) energy, Lifting hands flows like Water and pull down, is “Tasi” energy, Thunder, Fire fits here as “An” energy directed downwards as the pull down ends, into “Valley” or Lake (emptiness) and “Lu” (rollback) which returns to Earth energy…

Never stop practicing, though many things can get in your Way. Being part of the Way, to be a Wayfarer, is that we never stop practicing; we cannot stop, life is a river of change.